Posted on 02/02/2004 7:44:58 AM PST by prairiebreeze
Talon News) -- Like a coach preparing his team for the big game, President Bush addressed the "Congress of Tomorrow" luncheon in Philadelphia on Saturday. In the city where he was proclaimed the Republican nominee nearly four years ago, Bush thanked members of his party's congressional majority for supporting his agenda and called on them to do more in 2004.
The president praised House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) as well as members of the GOP leadership including Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Rick Santorum (R-PA), and John Kyl (R-AZ), Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX), and Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Deborah Pryce (R-OH).
President Bush recounted the last three years during which he took the country to war "to uphold the most solemn duty of government, and that is to protect its people" and worked with Congress to heal the psyche of the country that was wounded by the attacks of September 11, 2001.
Bush was upbeat when he said, "History has dealt us a hand, and we're playing it well for the American people."
"These are historic times, because we're at war -- you're a war Congress," Bush said.
He reiterated his desire not only to fight and win the war against terror, but also to promote American values of freedom.
Bush repeated a thematic line, "Freedom is not America's gift to the world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each person who lives in this world."
Bush pointed out that a recession was underway when he took office, with negative growth for the first three quarters of 2001. He added that the economy was further damaged by corporate scandals and the most devastating terrorist attack in American history. Bush said that because of the quick action taken, "Instead of the economy still languishing as a result of some incredible problems we face, it's now growing, and it's getting stronger."
The President emphasized the importance of keeping the economy growing.
He said, "One of the things we've shown the American people is we understand how the economy works. The economy doesn't work by growing government; the economy works by growing people's wallets so they can spend, save or invest."
Bush said that he would use the recovery he attributes to the tax cuts as a platform to make them permanent.
Bush then touched on a few legislative initiatives such as free trade and tort reform before addressing the issue of fiscal responsibility.
He began by saying, "One clear signal we need to send to the American people and the markets is we're going to be wise when it comes to the expenditure of the people's money."
Conservatives have been grumbling about the explosive growth in spending by the Bush administration. Their discontent was exacerbated last week when a new estimate for the prescription drug benefit Bush personally lobbied Congress for might cost $535 billion instead of $400 billion.
But the president boldly asked the Congress to work with him on the budget he would submit on Monday indicating their futures were intertwined.
He stated, "You spend; I propose. Together we're responsible."
The president revealed his plan in his weekly radio address. He maintains that overall discretionary spending will grow at less than four percent and non-security-related spending would rise less than one percent, the smallest such proposed increase in 12 years.
He will propose to make spending limits the law to assure that Congress observes spending discipline. His plan calls for every additional dollar the Congress wants to spend in excess of spending limits must be matched by a dollar in spending cuts elsewhere.
Bush was adamant when he said, "Budget limits must mean something, and not just serve as vague guidelines to be routinely violated. This single change in the procedures of the Congress would bring further spending restraint to Washington."
He will propose to make spending limits the law to assure that Congress observes spending discipline. His plan calls for every additional dollar the Congress wants to spend in excess of spending limits must be matched by a dollar in spending cuts elsewhere.
Yet America is not a Free country.
I wish he would stop bastardizing the word "Freedom".
It was a Free country for about 50 years after the American Revolution.
Things started going down hill after Andy Jackson left office, and we've been on cruise control since then.
Wonder how many billions in pork will be added in Congress..
You're right, talk is cheap and Dubya was/is utterly profligate, spending-wise, even in areas he neednt be : agriculture, commerce, HUD, etc. Not a single veto in over 3 yrs! Shameful.
Remember, these numbers are in ADDITION to the base line budgeting built in increases.
Physician, heal thyself.
Here is Jim's response on the Thread from late last night:
When the third party Bush bashers start running off the very people I'm trying to attract to FR it's time to draw the line. I'm using FR to support the war effort and I'm behind our commander-in-chief 100% in that regard. And despite some of his policies that I don't like, I still believe that he is a thousand times better for America and for conservatism in the long run that any Democrat. I am not going to stand by and allow a bunch of malcontents attempt to sabotage our efforts here on FR for some third party utopian pipe dream that doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of being successful. Sorry that's just the way it is.
1,430 posted on 02/02/2004 1:37:27 AM CST by Jim Robinson (I don't belong to no organized political party. I'm a Republycan.)
Here is my reason for supporting the President from the same thread:
The thought of Kerry as President is very much of a hot button for me after spending nine miserable months in MA in the 80's. The man and his policies scare me with his adoration of the UN and his hatred of all guns.
I am not in 100% agreement with all proposals of this President, but I do admire him for not doing Executive Orders to make them law. When a President does an Executive Order and it is posted, it takes a long time to overturn them if ever. I am not willing to take that chance on having a liberal from MA be President.
This election is too important to this Nation, to our members of the military who have already given their lives in the pursuit of terrorists, and to the citizens of this Country to turn the White House over to the extremely liberal Senator from MA -- Kerry!
Now you know where I am coming from on the reelection of President Bush and why I will spend every spare moment of my time to help get him reelected. Losing is not an option I even want to contemplate because it is too scarey!
1,447 posted on 02/02/2004 2:40:38 AM CST by PhiKapMom (AOII Mom -- Support Bush-Cheney '04)
It has a chart that I'd post here but can't get it to link, maybe some other more computer nimble FReeper can get it to work.
My observations are as follows:
The current plan is only a proposal. The President knows it will be cut by Congress. It doesn't surprise me at all that he asks for more than he expects to get. It's what our business does when establishing new contracts, by leaving room for negotiation.
The President is pushing for line item veto. At this point vetoing pork completely kills the entire bill. If we can get line item veto, pork should be able to be slashed but allowing an otherwise good bill to go forward.
Some that respond to these types of threads seem to believe that because we've had to lay out tremendous amounts of $$ in the WOT, and Iraq, nearly all other spending must come to a screeching halt or be slashed to ridiculously low levels. I believe this is impractical. I support holding spending to prudent limits and cutting where possible, but not to the extremes that some try to advocate.
Prairie
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